Nelson newman



IUNITED STATES NELSON NEWMAN, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIs' SSIGNOR or Two-ramps TO ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. SANDERS AND SAMUEL J. \VILLETT, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPEGIFIOATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,613, dated September 15,1891.

Application filed January 19, 1891. Serial No. 378,284. (No model.) v

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NELsoN NEWMAN,'L citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Spring field, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such'as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apper- Io tains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to improve-- r 5 ments in fireescapes; and the object of the invention is to provide a portable escape ap paratus which can be quickly operated to safely convey persons from the elevated stories of a burning structure to the ground, 2 and which can be compactly folded together,

so as to be stored within a small space.

\Vith these and other ends in view my invention consists in the combination of devices and novel construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. p

To enable others to understand my inventionIhave illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which-- 0 Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is a p longitudinal central sectional view, of a fireescape embodying my invention.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings, in

'3 5 which A B O designate the sections or members ofmy improved fire-escape, which are connected to each other and so constructed that they can be extended and contracted longitudi- 4o nally with dispatch and safety.

The lower or base section A of my escape is provided with spurs or feet a a, adapted to be forced into the ground to insure the apparatus remaining steadily in place, and this base-section also carries the power-hoist for raising the sections B C at any desired elevation, said power-hoist comprising the ropes D E and the operating-shaft F. This shaft F is journaled in suitable brackets or plates f, fixed to the sides of the lower section A of the escape,

and on the shaft, between the sides of said section,A,is rigidly fixed or keyed a drum G, to which drum one end of the cord, rope, or cable D is fastened. The shaft F also carries a crank or handle H for conveniently operating the shaft, and a ratchet-wheel I is fixed -to the shaft between the crank and one side of the section A, with which ratchet engages a pawl If, pivoted to one of the bracket-plates f, in which the power-shaft is journaled. The intern'iediate section or member B is connected at its lower end to the base-section A by means of the keepers or slides c, and the upper section C is in like manner connected to the intermediate section. B by the slides c. I preferably employ four slides to connect one section of the escape to the other, and said slides are preferably of the hook-shaped form herein shown to closely embrace the side pieces of the sections or members, the parts being so arranged that the section B slides. lengthwise on the section A and the section 0 moves lengthwise on the section B, said sliding movements of the sections B 0 being automatically and simultaneously effected by the arrangement of ropes D E. At the upper end or on the upper rung of the section A is a grooved pulley or sheave j, and on the upper end of the intermediate sec tion.B is another sheave 7t, arranged above the sheave j and drum G. The rope or cable D is fixed at one end to the drum G, passes over the sheave j at'the upper end of section A, and has its other end made fast to the lower rung b on the intermediate section B, while the other cable or rope E has one end made fast to the lower rung on the base-section A, thence passes to and over the pulley or sheave k on the upper end of section B, and has its other end made fast to the lower mug of the top or upper sectionC of the escape. By this 'arrangelnentof pulleys and ropes the sections B C of the escape are caused to simultaneously move upward when power is applied to the shaft F, and the sections are extended one above the other to any desired height, in which position they may be held by the pawl engaging with the ratchet. The upper end of the top section C- carries a car or box L, having on its side next adjacent to the sec- I00 tion C'a bracketk, provided with outwardly- 7 the side pieces of the upper section are provided contact-rollers M, which are loosely .vIS

'journaled and are adapted to ride against the building or other structure as the apparatus is elevated. Guy-ropes N are alsoattached to the upper ends of the side pieces of the top section 0 to enable the section to be pulled down should it meet with an obstruction, or for other purposes.

This being the construction of my improved fire-escape, the operation may be briefly described as follows: The escape in its ,folded position is planted alongside of the burning building or other structure with the guiderollers on section 0 resting against the wall, and the shaft F then rotated in order to pull on the ropes or cables D E, and thereby project the sections B O and the car to the proper story. The car having. received its load of one, two, or any desired number of persons, the pawl is disengaged from the ratchet and the car allowed to descend by gravity, or its own weight and load, the occupants of said car descending by the rungs on the sectionA after the sections B C have been lowered to the lowest point, thehinged door 'to the car enabling the persons to readily have access to the lower section, as the car lies immedi ately-above said sections A B.

v I am aware that changes in the form proportion" of parts and details of construction can be made without departing from the and spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention. I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fire-escape comprising the foldable sections connected together for longitudinal movement, ,the rollers journaled on one side of the upper section, the car arranged on the opposite side of the upper section over the other sections of the escape, the bracket fixed to the car and having the lugs or ears arranged between the side pieces ofv the upper section, therod or shaft passing through the side pieces of the upper. section and the ears of the bracket, and the power-drum and cables for raising the middle and upper sections off-the escape, substantially as described.

2. A fire-escape coin prising the base-section A, having the'spurs or feet and the pulley j at its upper end, the intermediate section B,

having the pulley k, the upper section 0, the slides engaging with the sections to permit longitudinal movement thereof, the powerdrum, the cables passing over the pulleys j k and connected tothe several sections in the manner shown and described, the rollers M, journaled on the upper section C on the inner side thereof, the car L, arranged on the outer side of the upper section, and the bracket fixed to the car and secured to the side pieces of the upper section, said car resting against the inner edges of the side pieces of the upper section and provided with a door' on its outer side, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

, In testimony whereof I aifix mysignaturein presence of two witnesses.

NELSON NEWMAN.

\Vitnesses:

DORA ADAMS,

WM. RIBoWERs. 

